PEMF Therapy for Joint Pain

Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy represents a treatment method which has existed for many years. Medical treatments using magnetic wave energy has been described and commonly used for hundreds of years in Asia and countries outside of the U.S.A.. The goal of such treatment is to introduce safe and natural pulsed electromagnetic fields that are complementary to normal bodily functions and result in a range of therapeutic effects.

Electromagnetic energy naturally exists in the body. EKGs of the heart and EEGs of the brain, for example, record the electromagnetic activity these organs produce. Using pulsed magnetic waves, PEMF therapy has been described as having potential therapeutic benefits, including reduction of inflammation, improvement of circulation, tissue oxygenation, and muscle function, as well as as reduction of pain and swelling. A number of medical studies describing potential benefits from PEMF therapy in the treatment of back and neck pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, joint arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, neuropathic and soft tissue pain has been published, and research continues to be conducted at universities within the U.S. and around the world.

PEMF therapy has gained increasing attention of patients in this country over the past several years. Currently, PEMF devices in the United States are FDA approved for the treatment of conditions including bone healing, wound care, post-operative knee pain and swelling, migraine headaches with aura, and clinical depression.

There is a wealth of descriptive information and literature on PEMF therapy available to the interested reader on the internet. Below are a few of the informative links to websites and research. These resources address the basic science behind electromagnetic therapy, safety information, clinical trials, questions which remain to be answered, and the potential role of PEMF therapy in complementary medicine.